Brace for return of street protests in 2024 – Raila

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has warned of a return of street protests in the new year unless the controversial Finance Act, 2023 is removed.

Speaking in Bondo on Saturday, Raila said the Finance Act is the main reason behind the worsening cost of living affecting majority of Kenyans.

“Tunasema mwaka mpya hii sheria ya kodi mpaka itolewe, hiyo Finance Bill mpaka itolewe, wasipotoa hiyo Finance Bill tutarudi kwenye uwanja,” Raila said.

(We have said come new year, the new tax law must be removed, the Finance Act must be removed, if they don’t we will go back)

Raila spoke during a canoeing competition in his home constituency of Bondo.

The former Prime Minister accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of giving false pre-campaign promises to lower the cost of living immediately after they assumed office.

He said the pledges were empty rhetoric to woo voters into voting for a government that has turned a deaf year to their plight and suffering.

His sentiments were echoed by Siaya Governor James Orengo who said things would have been different had Raila been the president.

“I know had the President been Raila Amolo Odinga, citizens would not have suffered,” Orengo said while supporting the removal of the Finance Act.

Raila called for weekly anti-government street protests beginning March 20 to pile pressure on the Kenya Kwanza administration to institute a myriad of changes including lowering the cost of living.

The protests ceased only after President William Ruto on July 25 said he was willing to engage in dialogue over the issues the Opposition chief wanted resolved.

This was after the bloody street protests left tens of people dead and hundreds wounded in a chaotic confrontation between protesters and anti-riot police.

"My friend @RailaOdinga, I'm off to Tanzania for a human capital meeting to harmonise the expansion of employment opportunities in our continent. I'm back tomorrow evening, and as you have always known, I'm available to meet one on one with you anytime at your convenience. WsR," Ruto’s tweet read.

On July 29, the government and the Opposition eventually agreed to form a 10-member joint committee to 'resolve our differences amicably' giving rise to a myriad of recommendations by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) after a series of sittings and collection of public views.

The two sides, however, failed to agree on ways to address the rising cost of living, one of the most pertinent issues tabled by Raila’s team.

The committee, in its report released on December 1, said it was unable to reach a consensus on several proposals on the matter of the cost of living, including the reduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel from 16 per cent to eight per cent and the scrapping of the housing levy.

To address the cost of living, the committee recommended that all arms of government should reduce their travel budgets by 50 per cent and that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) review Daily Subsistence Allowances for State and Public Officers to reduce by 30 per cent.

Raila termed the report as “ultimately imperfect and unfinished” but “a good start”.

“We have agreed to disagree on the most important matter to us. We made what we believed were reasonable proposals on how to address the rising cost of living. But the government side flatly refused terming it their exclusive business and further arguing that they got the mandate of Kenyans to execute their Kenya Kwanza economic agenda,” Raila said in a statement.

He said Azimio would engage Kenyans further in the weeks that would follow because the pain of the cost of living was unbearable. 

The Finance Act, 2023, which expanded the tax revenue base, he said, has continued to overburden an already struggling Kenyan population.